The Crimean Crisis: The Seeds of a War for Resources

The Crimean Crisis: The Seeds of a War for Resources

The crisis in Crimea is ongoing. From the referendum to the escalation of conflict between Ukraine and pro-Russia separatists and the growing discord between the US and Russia, experts are wondering if the new Cold War could well be brewing into a real one. With reports of conflict and violence reaching international readers daily, the question arises as to what drives this crisis and fuels it. A possible reason could be resources. Crimea is rich in natural gas and oil. The substantial Black Sea oil and natural gas lying in its watershed is the key behind this global battle. When Russia engaged in conflict with Chechnya, international response was muted. Now, things are different. The deep-water natural gas reserves in the Black Sea shelf are between 4 and 13 trillion cubic metres. The Crimean peninsula has always been disputed territory. Wars have been fought over it. But with the ownership of this resource-rich region under dispute, the crisis has spiralled into full-fledged conflict between Ukraine and Russia.

Fanning the flames further are the complex equations that exist between the western nations who are involved in this crisis. The Crimean peninsula is a multi-ethnic region. It was administered as an autonomous republic under Ukraine till February of this year along with a separate municipality of Sevastopol. The majority here are ethnic Russians with minority communities who are ethnic Ukrainians and Crimean Tatars. With the change in the situation currently, the Crimean peninsula is now the Crimean federal district. It is administered by the Russian Federation. The crisis flared up because the Ukranian Revolution resulted in the ouster of President Viktor Yanukovych from his post following his flight from Ukraine. The stage was set for a new presidential election and the formation of an interim government in Ukraine. The Yatsenyuk government did not get approval from Russia. What followed was the conflagration of tensions between the US and the EU on one side and Russia on the other. Ukraine is now caught in the tug of war. Pro-Russian forces took control of Crimea from February 26. When a referendum taken to join Russia got a majority affirmative vote from both Crimea and Savastopol, things took a turn for worse. The EU, US and Ukrainian authorities condemned the referendum as a violation of international law. On March 17th, the parliament of Crimea declared its intention of joining the Russian Federation.

On March 18th, a treaty was signed between Russia and Crimea for including the latter under the Russian federation. On March 27th, the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution declaring the incorporation of Crimea into the Russian Federation as illegal and the referendum as invalid. The parliament of Ukraine declared Crimea as under temporary occupation of Russia on April 15th. With these key events unfolding, the situation has now evolved into a beginning of a war for resources. Another ignition point for the Crimea crisis was the Euromaidan movement. With protestors spearheading a revolution charging corruption, the battle is being fought in earnest now between pro and anti Russian supporters. The history of Crimea also points to the seeds of this crisis. In 1783, the Crimean khamanate which was a vassal of the Ottoman Turks was captured by the Russian Empire. It had a thriving tourism industry at the time of the Soviet Union. According to the 2001 census, out of 2 million residents in Crimea, 1160000 million were ethnic Russians. Nearly 70% of the population of Sevastopol are also ethnic Russians. Yet, there are more complex compulsions than ethnicity driving this crisis. What really lies beneath all this could possibly be a battle for the control of the world’s diminishing resources. It could also reflect the changing political equations due to the current economic climate.

All countries involved in the conflict stand to lose. War is never a win-win situation. Ukraine will face loss of lives and continued political turmoil as a result of this crisis. Russia’s economy will take a beating because of its stand and its people will suffer. The US will be drawn into yet another conflict which may involve its long suffering troops who are dispatched to remote locations of the world on countless missions. The EU is also facing a conflict. Germany depends upon Russia for its oil and gas. Any tensions between the two nations can impact the economy of Germany in an adverse way if the supply of fuel and natural resources is stopped. Any country which takes a stand in the crisis will be faced with the ignominy of supporting war one way or another. A war can be averted only if diplomatic sparring is replaced by a genuine desire to hear each other’s voices and viewpoints instead of charging forth with your own. Unfortunately, neither side seems to be willing to stop and ponder the consequences of pushing the world into yet another war.